The Friendly Portuguese

by Staff Sergeant H.P. McNaughton

Staff Sergeant H.P. McNaughton was a Canadian prisoner-of-war in Sham Shui Po Camp in Kowloon, Hong Kong.  Here he expresses his friendship with his fellow Portuguese prisoners.  This design was made by Naneli Baptista.

Marciano “Naneli” Baptista (1896-1957) was the grandson of the famous Macau and HongKong artist Marciano António Baptista (1826-1896) who was a pupil of the renowned Irish artist George Chinnery1 and was known to be Chinnery‘s best pupil. Marciano António Baptista was famed for his excellence in detail and fine colouring, especially in his water colours. A street “Avenida de Marciano Baptista” is named after him in Macau.

 

“Naneli” Baptista was an artist in his own right. He was highly acclaimed for the originality and design of his illuminated addresses and presentations done in his beautiful and artistic script. The honour of executing the official illuminated address presented on behalf of the people of Hong Kong to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Coronation was entrusted to him.

His brilliant artistry and ingenuity in designing and painting the sets, scenarios and programs using the meager resources available for the plays and musicals that the POWs produced in Prison Camp are legendary. He will be long remembered, especially for this.

 

J Bosco Correa

1    George Chinnery, Esq, MRA is listed on pages 42 and 70 of the 1850 Hong Kong Almanack as “Landscape and Miniature Painter” and “Portrait Painter”; his address was Travessa de V. Baptista, Macao.

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